Car-wheel



(No Model.) I

J. E. ATWOOD. OAR WHEEL No. 243,826. Patented July 5', 1881.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. ATWOOD, CF TROY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF FIFTY-ONE ONE-HUNDREDTHS TO WILLIAM H. BARNUM, OF LIME ROCK, CONNECTICUT.

A CAR-W SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters- Application filed May 2,1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. Arwoon, a citizen of the United States,residing at Troy, in the county of Rensselaer and State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Car-Wheels, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of carwheels in which the web iscomposed wholly or partially of wood, with a central metal hub and ametal flanged tread. In this class of wheels as heretofore constructed,integral with a metal tread, the body of the wheel has been cast in theform of a skeleton-frame and the openings filled with panels of woodcompressed into place. This is objectionable, owing to the difficulty ofaccurately fitting the wood panels; and, further, a wheel of thisconstruction lacks the necessary strength and substantial qualitiesnecessary to enable it to withstand the excessive strains to which it issubjected. A carwheel is also known in which segments of wood form a webbetween the hub and the rim; but in such the hub and the rim are madeseparately and bolted together, which is objectionable, and, further, itis difficult to accurately form the segmental blocks.

The objects of my invention'are to overcome such objections and toprovide a car-Wheel in which the parts act as struts and braces to eachother, thereby imparting great strength and substantial qualities to thewheel; and, further, to provide a wood-filling which is easily adjustedin position, and which is not liable to become disintegrated or crushed,and which imparts greater elasticity to the wheel. These objects Iaccomplish by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich a Figure 1 represents a central sectional view of a car-wheelembodying my invention, and Fig. 2 detached views of the parts composingwheel.

The letter A indicates the web of the wheel, formed integral with thetread B and flange C, and having a central large aperture or open ing,D. The inner face of the web is plane or straight, and the interiorsurface of the tread B is arranged at right angles thereto, and pro-HEEL.

Patent No. 243,826, dated July 5, 1881.

(No model.)

vided at the margin with 'a continuous annu- 5o la'r seat, a, and inwardprojection or shoulder b.

The letter E indicates the hub, which is formed integral with a ring orcap-plate, F. The hub is formed with a contracted annular portion, G,which projects through the central 5 5 opening in the web and serves tosustain and brace the web, and the periphery of the ring or plate Frests against the annular seat a and abuts against the shoulder 12,thereby sustaining and bracing the tread, the several parts thus actingas struts and imparting considerable strength to the structure.

The space between the hub and the interior surface of the tread isoccupied by my improved wood filling H. This filling consists of a wood-6 5 en ring, out in one piece from a log of wood across the grain,thereby causin g the grain to extend transversely to the side of thewheel, and, as the end of the grain is exposed on both sides of thewooden ring, the latter is well adapted to take up a liquid preservingcompound of coal-tar or other bituminous matter, which is desirable inorder to thoroughly impregnate the wood and render it' more durable, andthereby avoid liability of disintegration.

It is well-known that the wood filling of carwheels, being exposed tocombined action of heat, air, and moisture, soon becomes decomposed andthe fibrous portion will disintegrate. To avoid this serious objectionin this class of car-wheels I impregnate the wood with coaltar or otherbituminous matter, which impregnation is rendered perfect by reason ofcutting the wood across the grain, thereby exposing the ends of thegrain on faces of the wooden 8 ring, and this construction also rendersthe filling more elastic.

The ring of wood is easily and conveniently turned off on a lathe to therequired diameter to snugly fit against the interior surface of the rimforming the tread; and the wooden ring is also provided with a circularcentral openin g, which fits over the enlarged portion of the hub,thereby imparting solidity to the wheel, yet providing the yielding orelastic qualities 5 which are so necessary to the practical use of thisclass of car-wheels.

The ring or cap-plate of the hub and the Web of the tread are united andclamped in position by a series of bolts, I, which are preferablyconfined in place by nuts, and the bolts must, of course, pass throughthe wooden ring coinposing the elastic filling.

It will be observed that the hub of the ring or cap-plate projectsthrough the central aperture of the web of the tread, the object ofwhich is not only to provide a bearing for sustaining the web, but alsoto form an extended bearing for the journal of the car-axle.

What I claim is- 1. A car-wheel consisting of the hub having an openingto receive the axle and formed integral with the annular cap-plate, incombination with the plane web formed integral with the flanged treadand'with a central aperture, the edges of which closely fit and abutagainst the hub, the inner portion of the flanged tread having anannular seat and inward-projectin g shoulder, which closely fit and abutthe outer edge of the detachable cap-plate, all substantially asdescribed.

2. In a car-wheel, the combination of the hub formed integral with anannular cap-plate, the web formed integral with the flanged tread, andan interposed ring filling of wood, the said web having a centralaperture closely fitting the hub, and the inner portion of the treadhaving an annular seat and inward-projecting shoulder, which closely fitthe outer edge of the detachable cap-plate, all substantially asdescribed.

3. A filling for hollow oar-wheels consisting of an annular disk formedof a single piece of wood, with the grain extending transversely throughthe disk and exposed at the parallel sides of the latter, said woodenring having a central opening to closely fit the wheelhub, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JAMES E. ATVVOOD.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. NORRIS, JAMES A. RUTHERFORD.

